They all look like they were just made up," Van Duzer, a map historian at the Library of Congress, said in a talk about his book. However, many of the ocean’s creatures, including whales, walruses and squid were rarely seen and were considered monsters in medieval and Renaissance times. Many have assumed that these mythical creatures were the results of illustrators having a bit of fun or exerting their imagination in their work. Despite their wild appearance, most of the creatures were based on true encounters with sea animals, shedding light on how mythology and folklore can evolve from real events.Ĭhet Van Duzer's " Sea Monsters on Medieval and Renaissance Maps" (British Library, 2013) depict a range of ‘sea monsters’ which cartographers used to illustrate mysterious, unexplored regions of the globe and the possible dangers of seafaring. A recently published book published by the British Library charts the evolution of iconic sea serpents, mermaids and other mythical creatures found on world maps from the 10 th century through to medieval and Renaissance times.
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